Most Key Players Return To SHS Girls Soccer Team

The team started this year with a squad of 18 players, most of them returning from the previous year. Courtesy photo.

The team started this year with a squad of 18 players, most of them returning from the previous year. Courtesy photo.

Annie GentileReminder News

The Stafford High School girls soccer team kicked off the 2015 season with most of their key players returning to play, reports head coach Rachel Freeman.

The team started with a squad of 18 players -- 11 of them are upper classmen and eight of them started the majority of the games last season.

Assistant coach Nichole Martorelli said the return of many of their more experienced players will be important for the Bulldogs, as most of the teams in the NCCC league they will be facing off against have rosters of about 24 players. Those teams also have junior varsity teams to draw their talent from, which Stafford does not currently have.

"Not having a JV team is a hurdle for us and makes us the underdog," said Martorelli. "There were some girls that played at the middle school, but they ended up going to different high schools."

Despite that challenge, Freeman said there are a number of excellent players to watch this season, including seniors Deanna Burns, Madi Grenier, Bri Reeves, and Peyton Teske, and sophomore Carlie Dreyfus.

"Carlie is a forward; she's very quick," said Martorelli. "We have a few strong juniors as well. Madi Lawson will be one to watch."

Both Freeman and Martorelli have strong roots in the SHS girls' soccer program, and the school as well. Freeman, a 2005 SHS graduate, is a teacher in the physical education and health department at the school, and Martorelli, a 2004 SHS graduate, teaches biology there.

"[Freeman] took over the girls' soccer program four years ago when the seniors on our team were freshman and I came on the following year," said Martorelli. "This year will be special because it will be the last for the seniors who were here from the start."

Freeman said she will emphasize leadership and unity amongst team players this season -- both on and off the field -- adding that if they can display those characteristics effectively, their goal to make a state tournament berth this year may very well be achieved.

At a recent practice in early September, Freeman noted the unusually high temperatures the team was up against in practices.

"The heat definitely set us back a couple of practices, but other schools are in the same boat," she said. "We haven't had school dismissed early, but there was one day we couldn't go outside and played in the gym instead."

On Friday, Sept. 10, Stafford squared off against rival Somers, always a formidable opponent, in a home game -- the first of the 16 games in the official season. The team lost by a final score of 6-3.